♥ DAYSDOWNUNDER ♥

(Please Note: Our Australian friends have always been several years behind the United States and Canada in terms of storyline on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. We always make a conscious effort to arrange all of the articles on BASEBALL MEMORIES AND MALIBU DREAMS according to the issue date on the magazine. Since the Australian soap opera magazines like SOAP WORLD and TV SOAP are so far behind us on what their readers are seeing and the dates of their articles donít match with when the storylines aired in the United States, we decided to give them their own page.)

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Triple Triumph for John BlackA Wife, A Baby, A Real Name

Wedding Bells are ringing and he is about to become a Dad! Suddenly his world is turned upside down...meet Forrest Alamain! Salem's man of mystery lands a wife and baby - and his true identity...as the long-lost brother of his evil mortal enemy.

DAYS fans are in for a triple treat when John Black (Drake Hogestyn) marries his ladylove, Isabella Toscano (Staci Greason) - and becomes a dad at the same time! And as if a wedding and baby aren't excitement enough, the tortured man of mystery finally discovers his true identity! The tears flow freely when Salem's star-crossed sweethearts at last tie the knot - and simultaneously experience the joys of parenthood.

For the groom, it's one of the happiest days of his life. He finds true love with the woman of his dreams and welcomes his firstborn into the world. But, just days before, he also learns the shocking truth that he is Forrest Alamain - the long lost brother of the wicked Lawrence Alamain (Michael Sabatino). Disgusted by the revelation that he's a flesh'n'blood relative of his mortal enemy, John retains the moniker he picked off a war memorial wall plaque.

He temporarily forgets his identity angst as he waits for his beautiful - and heavily pregnant - bride to walk down the aisle. Isabella is radiant in her off-the-shoulder maternity wedding gown, with a bead-encrusted bodice.

Fans will be ecstatic to witness John and Isabella exchange vows - after all, it seemed this tumultuous twosome would never make it to the altar. In his quest to unravel his mysterious background, he distanced himself from the lovely brunette. Even when he learned she was expecting his child, he couldn't commit to her.

But the identity crisis was just one of the major obstacles in John and Isabella's romance. What began as hate-at-first-sight - remember John, then known as "Roman," arrested Isabella for the murder of her sister, Marina (THE BOARD AND THE BEAUTIFUL'S Hunter Tylo) - soon developed into mutual passion. Drawn to each other by desperation and desire, John and "IzzyB." - as he called her - plunged into an intense, but slow, courtship.

The first hiccup in their romance came in the form of Isabella's evil father Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston). The couple was shocked to learn Salem's crime boss was Isabella's biological dad. John could not accept the man he wanted behind bars would be his father-in-law!

In a poignant scene John finally proposed to Isabella. They didn't know his "dead" wife Marlena (Deidre Hall) was watching through the window. The problem of loving two women was solved when the real Roman (Wayne Northrop) showed up and John was free to continue his romance with Isabella. Enter exotic Danielle Stevens (Deborah Moore), saying she was John's wife - which surprised Isabella. We've just seen John expose Danielle's lies - at last he and Isabella are free to get on with their lives. After all the trauma John and Isabella have endured, it comes as no surprise they want to marry...and quickly. But not quick enough, apparently - just as the couple is about to say "I do," Isabella cries "Oh, no!" and goes into labor! It's too late to go to the hospital - the baby won't wait - so the nervous mother-to-be is rushed to the vestry to deliver her child. Finally, the couple welcomes a baby...boy! He is named Brady Victor, and then, at last, John and Isabella can exchange their much-awaited vows...and now they're married.

Vesna Petropoulos, Australia's TV SOAP, 6/95

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♥ExposedJohn And Hope'sGuilty Secret"We Were Lovers!"

John and Hope were once lovers - loyal, devoted and totally inseparable! This is the shocking discovery made by Hope when she digs further into her puzzling past on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Trying to take her mind off problems with true love Bo, Hope instead discovers she was once deeply in love with John!

In a storyline sure to outrage fans, Hope (Kristian Alfonso) learns for the first time that Bo (Peter Reckell) may not have been the only man to claim a special place in her heart - and bed. Meanwhile, John (Drake Hogestyn) is rocked to think that for years there was another woman in his life besides Marlena (Deidre Hall).

It's not the first time there have been hints of romance between John and Hope. John once deliriously demanded Hope make love to him in the jungle, while Hope was obsessed with keeping him safe as they searched for a cure for Roman (Josh Taylor).

So, will we see John and Hope get together? And, if so, how will this affect Bo and Marlena? It would surely be one of the show's most controversial love stories!

Recently in the United States, fans were ready to storm NBC studios where DAYS is shot when Hope seduced John and made love to him in shameless scenes. The two characters are embroiled in a bitter custody battle over the baby whom John sired during their wild weekend abroad.(OOPS! This is wrong. John did not fight Hope for custody of Johnny. In fact, John stepped back from being a father to the baby and instead took a place behind Bo as Johnny's Godfather.)

Although these intense love scenes are two years away from local screens, we'll soon witness the pair's chemistry as they work to fill the gaps in their shrouded histories. In coming months, John and Hope leave their partners in Salem as they head to distant Switzerland to hunt for the truth. Hope depends increasingly on John who uses his detective skills to spot clues she missed.

He tracks down an old lady who knew "Princess Gina" intimately during her time in Europe. Hope is elated and grateful to John for finding this link to her past. But her gratitude turns to horror when the old lady reveals that "Gina" was the "envy of all women but faithful to one man."

When "Gina" asks who the love of her life was, she secretly believes she's about to hear Bo's name, reaffirming their deep love. But poor Hope is shaken to the core when the woman says: "He's right beside you, dear..."

John immediately refutes the idea, claiming he was in Salem for the entire time Hope was missing. He suggests it's a case of mistaken identity. But he's in turmoil, remembering the photos of him at a great party he and "Gina" allegedly attended together.

Viewers get a further hint that the old woman may be right through a flashback. It shows John saving Hope from Stefano's (Joe Mascolo) clutches a few kilometers from Maison Blanche, four years after she was presumed dead.

Maybe, in hindsight, it's a little too convenient to have been a spontaneous rescue? Perhaps John was with Hope the whole time, right up until Stefano tired of using them and turned them out?

Hope has long wondered what happened during her four-year disappearance from Salem. She'd been declared dead after Bo saw her fall into a vat of acid, but she later reappeared with no memory of where she'd been or her life as Hope.

For many months, Hope insisted she was a Russian princess named Gina, until her family and friends convinced her otherwise. But her real identity is again questioned in Switzerland as former acquaintances insist she's "Gina."

Certainly, John can empathize with Hope - his own history is eerily similar. When John first arrived in Salem, he was covered in bandages and unable to speak. Months later when his injuries healed, he couldn't recall his name or his past.

Although many now accept that John is really Forrest Alamain, nutty Vivian's (Louise Sorel) nephew, he's never been able to recall a single memory. Indeed, he's probably the only person in Salem who can truly relate to Hope's anguish.(OOPS! This is wrong. John has recalled some memories of his life as Forrest. He remembered thrashing in water while under hypnosis; this lead to him remembering that he 'drowned' in a swimming pool as a child. He was revived, but his death was faked and he was taken from his family. He also remembered dancing with a masked woman at a masquerade ball, who later turned out to be Danielle Stevens. He also remembered being given a baseball signed by Mickey Mantle. It came out that the ball was a gift to Forrest from Buddy Rose, a janitor that Forrest befriended in a New York City boarding school.)

So what will this new bombshell mean for John and Hope's legendary romances with respective partners Bo and Marlena?

For now, neither intends to take it too seriously. They can't remember the affair and don't have any solid evidence to back the claim. But one thing is certain - neither can look at each other again in quite the same way.

Vanessa Mace, Australia's TV SOAP, 1/02

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John And Marlena'sHoneymoon Horror...

Under The Sea:

After thirteen beleaguered years, Salem supercouple John and Marlena finally tie the knot and fly off into the sunset on DAYS. But tragedy strikes in their honeymoon paradise when the groom 'drowns' in the turbulent Hawaiian surf.

John (Drake Hogestyn) and Marlena's (Deidre Hall) new life together begins to unfold like a fairytale. After their romantic wedding, the groom carries his new wife aboard his private jet, which is scattered throughout with flowers. Marlena gasps in awe, kissing her new husband passionately as he reveals the secret honeymoon destination - Hawaii.

The couple makes a toast to eternal love and John tenderly carries his bride to a petal-laden bed. For the first time in Salem history, John and Marlena make love as husband and wife.(OOPS! This is wrong. It wasn't the first time that John and Marlena made love as husband and wife. In 1986, John found out that he was Marlena's husband Roman Brady, who was presumed dead after being pushed off a cliff by Stefano. On August 22, 1986 in St. Luke's Catholic Church, Roman and Marlena had a ceremony for the reaffirmation of their wedding vows.)

Arriving at the Hawaii beach house, Marlena is speechless to find John has already had their suite filled with fragrant flowers. As the calming sound of the ocean fills their room, John seductively hand-feeds his soulmate strawberries and whipped cream.(OOPS! This is wrong. John and Marlena didn't stay in a beach house; they stayed in a hotel. John had some trouble finding strawberries in Hawaii, so the hotel where he and Marlena were staying put pineapple in the bottom of the bowl, with one big strawberry on top of the pineapple. So he seductively hand-feeds her mostly pineapple dipped in whipped cream.)

At last Marlena speaks of the fear that's been plaguing her for weeks. She tells John that she thought Gina (Kristian Alfonso) would ruin their big day. She says Gina's love for him is obvious and she was scared John might remember he was in love with Gina too. The stressed psychiatrist admits she's glad to be far from Salem and the problems of others.

As a fiery tropical sun heralds a new day, Marlena begins to relax. After breakfast in bed, the newlyweds head to the beach. In playful scenes, John and Marlena chase each other into a secluded cove and fall onto the sand, kissing passionately. The lovers are oblivious to everything - until a big wave dampens their passion.

Alone on the tiny beach, John and Marlena once again recite their wedding vows. Their introspection is shattered by a woman's frantic screams for help out at sea. Heroic John throws himself into the surf, with no thought for his own safety.(OOPS! This is wrong. John and Marlena didn't recite their wedding vows, but John did recite the poem "How Do I Love Thee" to Marlena as a romantic surprise for her. John started the poem, but Marlena later joined in and recited the poem with him.)

As he reaches the woman, she and John are suddenly pulled under. Marlena frantically begs a passing jogger to get help fast. When John fails to surface after several minutes, Marlena faces the heartbreaking conclusion that her husband may be dead.

She refuses to give up hope and convinces the Coast Guard to immediately begin searching for two people. Hours later, the patrol boat returns with no sign of either person. The Coast Guard tells Marlena that a huge tropical storm is rolling in and that the search must be called off for the day. The heartbroken bride returns to her empty hotel suite.

Viewers, however, learn that John isn't dead - he's been kidnapped! When he reached the 'drowning' woman, he was tranquilized by a scuba diver. Dragged out to sea in a net, the unconscious man was then bundled aboard a submarine.

Aboard the submarine, viewers see that the drowning woman was none other than Gina. She's determined to get back her lover, Father John, at any cost.

The cunning woman attempts to turn back the clock fifteen years to 1985, when she and John were lovers, by changing all the calendars.

After deactivating the chip in John's brain, Gina removes his wedding ring and crosses her fingers. There's a tense moment as John awakens.

Gina tells her old flame that she's taken care of everything and that they've escaped from Stefano (Joe Mascolo). John passionately kisses Gina and tells her that 1985 will be the best year of their lives. Viewers will be stunned to see how amoral the new John is as he grabs a shotgun and threatens to shoot Stefano if he tries to stop them. Gina explains that John has been unconscious since she rescued him from Stefano.

In unbelievable scenes, John roughly pulls off Gina's clothes and they make wild, passionate love on the submarine. Afterwards, they engage in some vigorous dirty dancing before making love again.

John relays events that occurred fifteen years ago - but which he believes happened only days before. He explains Stefano held him captive after John overheard him discussing a plan to turn him into Roman Brady. Mercenary John ironically laughs that he can't imagine being "a doughnut-eating, by-the-book cop with a headshrinker (Marlena) for a wife and three obnoxious kids."

John tells Gina that as soon as they recover the money from the safe deposit box in Lugano and get Greta (Julianne Morris) back, they'll become man and wife.

Back on shore, a torn and bloody item of clothing washes up. Marlena is horrified when she realizes they're the shorts John was wearing when he disappeared. The devastated woman is forced to consider the fact that her soulmate may be dead.(OOPS! This is wrong. When John heard the woman screaming, he took off his shirt but kept his pants on, so the torn and bloody item of clothing was John's pants, not his shorts.)

Australia's TV SOAP, 2/10/03

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Wild DAYS:Gina's Sex GamesWith John And Stefano!

DAYS' Undersea Lust:

John, Gina and Stefano are involved in a passionate submarine love-fest. Get set for wild DAYS - and nights - undersea as amoral Gina makes wild, passionate love to both John and Stefano aboard a submarine!

John (Drake Hogestyn) appears to drown when on his honeymoon with Marlena (Deidre Hall). While his new bride mourns her husband's 'death,' the groom engages in some steamy, extra-marital shenanigans with Gina (Kristian Alfonso) in a sub on the ocean floor.

Then the evil omnipresent Stefano (Joe Mascolo) discovers his runaways and Gina sees the only way to save John's life is to surrender her body to her depraved creator.

John's adventure begins when Gina harpoons him during a set-up rescue mission at sea. She places him in a net and drags the unconscious man out to a submarine waiting off the coast of Hawaii. Once on board, Gina cruelly erases all of John's memories after the year 1985.

When he awakes, he thinks it's July 12, 1985. But that isn't the only difference. John resumes his former identity as the cunning, heartless mercenary who Gina fell in love with all those years ago.

In combat mode once more, John kisses Gina roughly and pulls her onto the bed. Gina seductively tells John she has made dinner for him, but he says 'to hell with dinner' and carries her to bed.

In shock scenes, John aggressively begins tearing off Gina's clothes. He then grabs a bottle of champagne and pours it over her bare skin before licking it off lewdly as the two give in to their carnal desires.

Afterwards, the couple engages in some energetic dirty dancing '80s-style before heading to bed once more. Moments later, they're thrown from their love nest when the sub is jolted violently from below.

John tells his nervous lover that he doesn't think their nemesis Stefano has found them yet, but if he has, John will kill him! He tells Gina that they must surface to investigate the damage, regardless of the danger.

Gina's worst fear is realized when John opens the hatch and finds Stefano waiting on deck. Pulling out a gun, Stefano forces John back inside and tells the duo that they have one chance to live. He demands they steal the last painting for him - or die.

Gina passes John a knife she's been hiding behind her back, and her lover pounces on their enemy. In tense scenes, John stabs his nemesis in the stomach, but he's soon overcome by Stefano's boarding goons.

In control once more, Stefano chides John for inflicting a non-fatal wound. He says the old John would never have aimed for the abdomen, stating that John's love for Gina has made him soft and useless for future missions. The last things viewers see is John's lifeless body being thrown headfirst into the ocean.

Alone with Gina, jealous Stefano berates his ex-lover for concealing her affair with partner-in-crime John. He can't believe she hid her love for John from him all those years.

Infuriated, he threatens to turn her back into Hope Brady, taunting that there's nothing she can do about it.

The cunning Gina responds by using her feminine wiles. She replies truthfully, stating that the love the real Gina felt for Stefano was true. She explains for the first time how Gina fell in love with John during Stefano's long, frequent absences. She also points out that her creator was never faithful to her.

Stefano tenderly admits he ruined the best relationship he ever had. He tells Gina that he'd never have tried to bring her back to life through Hope had he known the truth about her and John.

Quick to capitalize on her advantage, Gina undresses in front of her ex-lover. She tells Stefano she'll do anything in exchange for John's life. The beastly man eagerly takes her up on the offer, carrying Gina to the sub's private quarters.

As the older man undresses, his beautiful young lover prepares to pleasure Stefano like no one has before. She tells herself that sharing her body with Salem's king of crime is a small price to pay to save the man she loves.